Audemars Piguet unveils the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT to honour its longstanding relationship with the region
Audemars Piguet may have been founded 1875 but the Royal Oak was only introduced to the world in 1972. This proves that the design and research has not stopped as Audemars Piguet keeps pushing the technical boundaries with every launch since then.
Over the years, we have seen many reiterations of the Royal Oak. This year, Audemars Piguet launches the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT specially designed for the Southeast Asian market.
On the exterior, the design features a sandblasted 18-carat pink gold case that puts the two-tone open-worked design in the spotlight. You will also notice the curvature of the timepiece as it hugs the wrist comfortably at 44mm in diameter.
The watch is a study in contrast as the 18-carat pink gold complements the grey ceramic. The case is topped off with the distinct Royal Oak octagonal bezel in grey ceramic, hand-finished with an alternation of satin-brushed and polished surfaces.
The dial is intentionally left out so that the inner workings of the watch can be seen, especially the advanced handwound micromechanics. The flying tourbillon is nestled in the redesigned bridges in grey shades and takes centrestage at the nine o’clock position, heightening the watch’s 3D architecture design. On closer look at the exposed movement, you will notice the attention to detail is remarkable with pink gold-toned inner bezel and pink gold hands.
“Limited edition of 20 pieces” is engraved on its caseback and the timepieces are only available in Audemars Piguet boutiques in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. This is because the Swiss manufacturer wants to honour its longstanding relationship with Southeast Asia.
To round off the look, the watch comes with a grey textured rubber strap, recalling the case’s sandblasting finishing. An additional grey alligator strap is available for those who want to elevate their style.
A Royal past
The Royal Oak Concept was first unveiled in 2002 as a 30th anniversary tribute to Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak which was designed by Gérald Genta as the world’s first luxury watch in stainless steel. The Royal Oak Concept’s ultra-hard Alacrite 602 case was more rounded to highlight Genta’s signature octagonal bezel and its eight hexagonal screws. These revolutionary design codes have persisted throughout the Royal Oak Concept collection, which has become a platform at Audemars Piguet to rethink and experiment high-end watchmaking by leveraging advanced technologies and ancestral savoir-faire.
Tech Specs
Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT // 44 mm
Functions
Flying tourbillon, GMT 24h, functions selection, hours and minutes.
Case
18-carat pink gold case, glare-proof sapphire crystal and caseback, grey ceramic bezel, screw-locked crown and push piece, sandblasted titanium push piece guards, water resistant to 100m.
Dial
Second time-zone indicator at three o’clock on sapphire plate, crown position indicator at six o’clock, pink gold Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating, pink gold-toned inner bezel.
Strap
Grey rubber strap with sandblasted titanium AP folding clasp. Additional grey alligator strap.
Movement
• Handwound Manufacture Calibre 2954 • Total diameter 35.6 mm (15 ¾ lignes) • Total thickness 9.9 mm • Number of parts 348 • Number of jewels 24 • Minimum power reserve guaranteed 237h • Frequency of balance wheel 3Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
